Collapsible chaib



- 1,640,380 1927' w. J. STEWARD v COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR AND EASEL Filed Oct 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r 13 1226771307 F wvzzmm/ J .fizeward,

' 1,640,380 Aug. 30, 1927. w. J STEWARD COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR AND EASEL Filed Oct. 26v 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZULLLi/mn J jeward.

Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM J. SIEWARD, 0F JAMAICA PLAIN", MASSACHUSETTQ COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR AND EASEL.

Application filed October 26, 1925. Serial No. 64,800.

This invention relates to an improved collapsible chair and easel particularly adapted for use by artists in sketching out of doors.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheaply constructed, yet strong and practical combined chair and easel, which can be collapsed and folded into a very compact space and which, when positioned for use, will provide a support for a drawing, a seat for the artist, and a receptacle for the artists supplies- Another object of the invention is to so construct the portion thereof that constitutes the easel that drawings of different sizes may be positioned at different heights thereon, and said easel may be so positioned relas tively to the seat portion thereof that the artist may either sit or stand while sketching, the device being so arranged that when a drawing is positioned for the artist to sketch upon. while standing, that the seat portion of the device will not interfere with the movements of the artist.

The invention consists in a combined collapsible chair and easel as set forth in the following specification and particularly as pointedout in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improves chair and easel showing the same in position for use.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating the device in its collapsed and folded position.

l is a detail section taken on the line l& of Fig. 2. 4

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the device positioned as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is aside elevation of the device with the legs of the easel portion positioned to constitute an auxiliary back rest for the drawing, the latter being positioned so that the artist may sketch thereon when standing.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 is a chair-seat pro-; vided with a slot 11 extending longitudinally thereof and having transverse braces 12, 13 and 14 upon the under side thereof. The brace 1s has a groove 15 extending longitudinally thereof in its front face fora pur pose hereinafter to be set forth.

" Metered upon the under swe r the 10 midway the length thereof is a receptacle 16 having compartments 17 and 18,.the compartment 17 being, provided to receive the various supplies required by the artist, said supplies being inserted and removed through the slot 11. The compartment 18 is provided for the reception of an artists palette 19 which is mounted to slide laterally in said compartment in grooves 20 provided in the front and rear walls of the receptacle 16, and said grooves 20 are so located that when the palette 19 is positioned therein, the paint located thereon will not contact with the under surface of the partition that separates the compartments 17 and 18. The artists palette 19 furthermore when in position within the compartment 18 constitutes a slidable member to hold the X legs of the seat 10 in their collapsed position against the under side of said seat in a manner to be hereinafter more fully explained and as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The seat member 10 is supported at the rear thereof by two pairs of legs 21. and 22, each pair of legs being pivoted together at 23, and the legs 21 being pivotally attached at their upper ends at 24 to the opposite ends of the brace 13. The legs 21 and .22 are, furthermore, providedwith crossbraces 25 located adj acent to their lower ends, while the legs 22 are provided with across brace 26 located adjacent to their upper ends, said last-named brace being provided for the purpose of entering the groove 15 in the brace 14 and thereby locking the cross legs in their open position.

A handle 27 is fastened to one of the legs 22, said handle being utilized in carrying the device when the same is located in its collapsed and folded position as illustrated in Fig. 3. p The seat member 10 is supported at the front thereof by a leg 28 which is slidably mounted upon a back rest 29 for a drawing 30, the latter being illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The back rest 29 embodies therein a main member. 31 pivoted at 32 to the front of the seat member 10, and a member 33 which is mounted to slide within said member 81. The leg 28 is secured by a suit able clamp34t to a brace 35 which is located at;the rear of the back rest 29 and forms a part thereof. The member 33 of the back rest 29 may be secured in different posi tions relatively to the member 31 of said back rest by a suitable clamp 36.

ftflie drawing so, when poaitiened the back rest 29, rests upon a support 37, and at the top thereof said drawing is held against said back rest by a clamp 38' which is illustrated in detail in Fig. 5. The clamp 38 is, furthermore, utilized as a means for securing a pair of legs 39 to the back rest 29, said legs being provided for the purpose of supporting said back rest atdifferent angles relatively to the seat 10. The legs 39 are extensible and comprise upper and lower members 40 and 41 respectively, said members being held together by bands 42' and 43 and said leg members are prevented from moving relatively to each other by a clamp 44.

The clamp 38 embodies therein members 45 and 46 which are located upon opposite sides of the sliding member 33 of the back rest29, against which said clamp members are tightly'forced. by a pair of thumb screws 47. A rod 48 is also mounted between the clamping members 45 and 46 in such a manner that said rod may be rotated between said members and also clamped there between. The rod 48 is provided with end portions 49 which are bent at right angles to the main portion thereof, and attached to these end portions 49 are the upper leg members 40. This construction permits the extensible legs 39 to swing bothlongitudinally of the seat member and laterally of said seat, permitting the back rest to be supported as illustrated in Fig. 2, at which time said legs are located at the rear of said back rest, or as illustrated in Fig. 7, at which time said legs are located in front of said back rest, in which position said legs may be utilized as an auxiliary support for the drawing 30" by clamping a support 50 to said legs, said support 50 being utilized in the same manner as is the support 3'7 previously described.

The member 45 of the clamp 38 is pro vided with a notch 51 which is utilized in holding the back rest in its folded position against the upper portion of the seat member 10 when the device is in its collapsed position as illustrated in Fig. 3, at which time the extreme rear end portion of' said seat member is located in said notch 51.

The leg members 41 are provided with spurs 52 at their lower ends and when the device is located in its collapsed position, as il'l'i'istra'ted in F ig. 3', said spurs 52 project into screw eyes 53 that are provide'd'in the upper surface of the seat 10 at the forward end thereof, thereby holding said legs against the upper surface of said seat.

The device hereinbefore specifically described is used in the following manner Assuming the parts" to be in the relativepositions illustrated inFigs; 1, 2 and 6, the drawing 30 illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 is placed upon the support 37 of the back rest 29 against which it is held by the clamp 38. Any inclination that may be desired for the back rest 29 may be ob tained by adjusting the relative positions ofthe members 40 and 41 of the extensible legs 39, and the latter may also be-rocked laterally of. the back rest and seat to provide the proper bracing effect for said back rest. At this time the X legs 21 and 22 are held agains collapsing by reason of the fact that the leg brace 26 is located within the groove of the seat brace 14, and the X legs are, therefore, locked securely in their open position. The artist may now sit on the seat 10 and sketch upon the drawing while so seated, at the same time having his supplies within easy access in the compartment 17 of the receptacle 16.

On the other hand if the artist desires to stand while sketching, the drawing is removed from its position against the back rest 29, and the latter is rocked forwardly into a position as illustrated in Fig. 7, at the same time the sliding member 33 of the back rest 29 is raised. within the member 31 of said back rest, and the extensible legs 39 are swung forwardly into a position approximately as illustrated in Fig. 7, the members and 41 of said legs being adjusted to the proper length required by the inclination and height of the back rest. The support is then clamped to the legs 39 and the drawing 30' is mounted upon said support, said legs thereafter constituting a back rest for said drawing. In this position the artist may sketch upon the drawing while standing without the seat 10 seriously interfering with his movements. In the various positions of the device the leg 28 supporting the front portion of the seat 10 is adjusted upon the back rest 29 and when so. adjusted, is held securely clamped there to by the clamp 34.

When it is desired to collapse and fold the device, the drawing 3!) is removed and the back rest 29 is rocked forwardly against the seat 10, a. portion of said back rest projtec'ting into the slot 11 in said seat and thereby closing the opening into the compartment 17. The clamp 38 is loosened upon. the back rest member and moved to the extreme end of said member, in which position it is utilized to clamp the back rest- 29 to said seat, the extreme rear end of said seat being located in the notch 51 of said clamp. The leg 28 is moved iuwardly upon the back rest 29 and clamped in said inward position by the clamp 34, and. the leg members 40 and 41 of the extensible legs 39 are collapsed upon themselves and folded against the seat 10 against which they are held by reason of the fact that the spurs 52 project into the screw eyes 53. The X'legs 21 and 22 are folded beneath the seat 10, each pair of said legs being located upon the opposite sides of the receptacle 16,

and the artists palette 19 is slid into place within the grooves 20 of the compartment 18, and said palette projects outwardly a sufficient distance from said compartment to engage one of the legs 21, thereby preventing said legs from opening. l he various parts are now all securely held in their collapsed positions and the device may be carried by the handle 27 without danger of the device opening.

1. A collapsible chair and easel having, in combination, a seat, a. back restfor a drawing or the like embodying therein a member pivotally attached to said seat and a member slidably mounted upon said pivoted member, means attached to said slidable member to support a drawing, means to clamp said slidable member to said pivoted member at different heights relatively to said seat, a leg adjustab-ly secured to said back rest and supporting said seat at the front thereof, a plurality of X legs supporting said seat at the rear thereof, and means attached to said slidable member of said back rest to hold the latter at different angles relatively to said seat, said last-named means being adapted to swing both longitudinally of and laterally of said seat.

2. A collapsible chair and easel having, in combination, a seat, a back rest for a drawing or the like embodying therein a. member pivotally attached to said seat and a member slidably mounted upon said pivoted member, means attached to said slidable member to support a drawing, means to clamp said slidable member to said pivoted member at different heights relatively to said seat, a leg adjustably secured to said back rest and supporting said seat at the front thereof, a plurality of X legs supporting said seat at the rear thereof, and a pair of extensible legs pivotally attached to said slidable member of said back rest and adapted to hold the latter at different angles relatively to said seat, said legs being adapted to swing both longitudinally of and later ally of said seat.

3. A collapsible chair and easel having, in combination, a seat, a back rest for a drawing or the like embodying therein a me1nber pivotally attached to said seat and a member slidably mounted upon said pivoted member, means attached. to said slidable member to support a drawing, means to clamp said slidable member to said pivoted member at different heights relatively to said seat, a leg adjustably secured to said back rest and supporting said seat at the front thereof, a plurality ofX legs supporting said seat at the rear thereof, and a pair of extensible legs pivotally attached to said slidable member of said back rest and adapted to hold the latter at different angles relatively to said seat, said last-named legs also being adapted to swing forwardly of said back rest and constitute an auxiliary back rest for said drawing.

4. A collapsible chair and easel having, in combination, a seat, a back rest for a drawing or the like embodying therein a member pivotally attached to said seat and a member slidably mounted upon said pivoted member, means attached to said slidable member to support a drawing, means to clamp said slidable member to said pivoted member at different heights relatively to said seat, a leg adj ustably secured to said back rest and supporting said seat at the front thereof, a plurality of X legs supporting said seat at the rear thereof, a clamp for the top of said drawing adjustably secured to said slidable member of said back rest, a rod rotatably mounted in said clamp and provided with end portions projecting at right angles there to, and legs pivotally attached to said end port-ions of said rod, whereby said legs may swing longitudinally of and laterally of said back rest.

5. A collapsible chair and easel having, in combination, a seat comprising a single memher, a receptacle for artists supplies upon the under side of said seat, a back rest for a drawing or the like pivotally attached to the front of said seat member, means to support said drawing at different heights upon said back rest, a leg secured to said back rest and supporting said seat member at the front thereof, a plurality of X legs supporting said seat member at the rear thereof, a member slidably mounted within said receptacle and adapted to hold said cross legs in their folded position against the under surface of said seat, and means to hold said back rest at difierent angles relatively to said seat. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM J. STEWARD, 

